Alexandria’s Oral History Project

 

Do you know anyone who's lived in Old Town North a long time?

History isn’t just found in books and old buildings, the voices of people who lived it can be recorded and their stories preserved for future generations to learn and enjoy.

Oral history is central to understanding the past and present. For centuries, stories and memories have been passed down from generation to generation, making oral history an age-old practice. The Historic Alexandria Oral History Center carries on this legacy, making each Alexandrian a tour guide of the past. The Oral History Center is the curator of your stories; the artifacts are your memories.

The Oral History Center is a project of the Office of Historic Alexandria, the department charged by the City of Alexandria government with the preservation, interpretation, and promotion of the City’s premier sites. These key links to the past help bring Alexandria's varied and storied history to life.

Current efforts include:

  • Digitizing and preserving 300+ oral histories that have been collected in Alexandria since the 1980s

  • Creating an updated online portal for the Oral History Archive, which will make 300+ oral histories available to the public.

  • Recording 50 oral histories annually, which touch upon various initiatives, such as African-American History, Women's History, Latinx History, Neighborhood History, etc,

  • The launch of the StoryKit Program, which is an oral history training program for Alexandrians to learn about how to do oral history recordings and have an opportunity to rent recording equipment (free of charge) to complete their own oral history recordings

  • Creating a permanent site for the Center, which will include: a recording booth; an exhibit space; a History Makers Lab where Alexandrians can use equipment to digitize and preserve family/personal/community memorabilia and history, and conduct genealogy; and a meeting space to provide trainings and workshops for future community historians.

There's plenty of history in Old Town North. The changes since the 1970s are amazing and it would be really interesting to interview some people who were in the neighborhood 20, 30, or even 40 years ago. Do you know anyone who's lived in Old Town North a long time, and might be willing to discuss their lived experiences?   For more information and to tell your stories, please visit https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic-alexandria/share-your-story

Linda Vitello